the superlatives in the program blurbs can’t do justice to the ukrainians at the sangamon auditorium last night nor can I begin to describe the color artistry variety complex weavings in and out of these ballet-trained folk dancers the gravity defying leaps of the men not once twice but twenty times around the stage till we could stop gasping and breathe again the rapid costume changes how could they manage and humor pathos joyousness their energy energy energy filled us too the sparse audience made up for it in yipping hollering cheering we hollered and cheered too clapped our hands raw afterwards behind the building I spotted the huge semi to hold trunks the rows of buses for the cast of fifty and their support folk surely a hundred all told straggling out in sweatshirts pants looking tired ordinary I drove home, thought: what have we been doing all our lives? why aren’t we all dancing?

Jacqueline Jackson © 2009